A fire broke out in the basement of the Massachusetts State House Tuesday afternoon, forcing evacuations of state legislators and even Gov. Maura Healey from the building.
The state house will remain closed Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution,” State House Superintendent Tammy Kraus said in a statement Tuesday evening, after Boston fire officials had earlier in the day cited high levels of carbon monoxide in the building.
“We’re grateful for the efforts of the Boston Fire Department, Mass State Police and DCR Rangers to ensure the safety of all officials, staff and visitors and are working diligently to reopen the building as quickly and safely as possible,” Kraus said.
Massachusetts State Police said Healy and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll were among those who safely exited the building after the fire was first reported at 2:12 p.m., the Boston Globe reported.
The Boston Fire Department responds to reports of a fire in the basement of the Massachusetts State House. (Boston Fire Department)
A fire alarm that had sounded earlier Tuesday morning was an apparent false alarm, officials said. By the afternoon, however, a second alarm sounded, signifying a real emergency. A real fire was ignited by burning high voltage wires that fed a transformer in the basement, Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke said.
Addressing reporters outside, Burke explained that due to the location of the fire, the type of blaze and dangerous fumes, “it was quite a lengthy process” to get firefighters down the manholes to extinguish the blaze.
“It was in a tunnel and the smoke, and the quality of the air were a problem,” he said.
“They have to go down and isolate the transformer by shutting off the power so that’s what’s taking so long,” Burke added, according to the Boston Herald. “The transformer did not catch on fire but the feeds to it did so we had NSTAR come.”
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The Massachusetts State House golden dome and cupola, both of which are overdue for repairs. A fire broke out in the basement of the building Tuesday. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Burke said there was no structural damage to the building, but some rooms might have smoke damage. He said an exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, but preliminarily suggested “overheated wires” could be to blame, according to the Globe. The fire was put out by approximately 5 p.m.
“I’m grateful for the swift and coordinated action of @BostonFire, @MassStatePolice, and @MassDCR Rangers in response to the electrical fire in the basement of the State House today,” the governor later tweeted at 5:08 p.m. Tuesday. “Thank you for quickly evacuating the building and keeping officials, staff, and visitors safe. If you’re in the area, please continue to avoid the scene and follow the directions of public safety officials.”
Massachusetts State House workers raise the Pride flag in June. Legislators and staffers were evacuated from the building Tuesday amid an apparent electrical fire that ignited in the basement. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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“A great job by the Command staff and companies in the hot and humid weather. They used multiple fans in a relay system using positive pressure to push the dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide out of the State House,” the Boston Fire Department tweeted later Tuesday.
